马太福音28:1-10复活节讲道
恩惠、平安从父神和救主耶稣基督归于你们一同欢庆主耶稣死里复活的人。阿们。
基督复活了，祂真的复活了，哈利路亚。
今天的福音经文是围绕着耶稣安葬的坟墓这一场景展开。说起坟墓，在我们华人的文化传统中，是有着复杂的情感：一边是华人忌讳死亡，不敢谈论死亡，生怕一说出来明天人就没了；另一边是华人非常看重坟墓，因为这是所谓儿女们能够向死去的亲人献爱心的地方。所以你看华人的葬礼——当然是在国内，美国这里太冷清了——都比较隆重、甚至有些热闹，不仅要供奉很多物品，摔碎器具、还要烧掉纸屋、纸钱等等，而且还要看街坊邻居的眼色，以至于葬礼变成了演戏，演给人看，看谁哭的最伤心、凄惨、真切动情。人骨子里的罪性可见一斑。就算人去世了，每年还要继续烧纸钱、摆供奉表示孝顺，甚至变成了向死去的亲人祈求祝福的偶像崇拜仪式，把死人当成神明来对待了。想一想人也挺愚昧的，人不都是有限的吗？况且，活着的时候都不能帮到你，死了去哪都不知道(当然，我们信徒因着圣经知道人的结局），怎么能够给你祝福呢？这也实在是华人文化围绕坟墓打转的荒谬之处。
其实，不只是华人，整个人类不都是这样吗？坟墓对所有世人来说:就是终点。大家或许承认圣经所说的“人人都有一死”，但没有人愿意承认“死后且有审判”（希伯来书9:27）。所以你看在西方社会，死亡和坟墓都变得无所谓，随随便便。最近大家可能都留意到西班牙的一则新闻，关于一位女士安乐死的事情。她生前遭受了很多不幸，父母离异、被政府福利机构收养，后来被黑帮凌辱，自杀多次，而且身心灵都遭受摧残。这本身够悲惨的了，但是更不幸的是：当她的父母从基督信仰的角度要保护她免于自杀以及安乐死的时候，整个西班牙、整个欧洲的法院都支持这位女性安乐死，最终，打了两年官司之后，父母失败了不能保护自己的女儿，她在上个月被执行安乐死；听说还没死，早就预定好器官捐赠分配去处了——甚至不死还不行。这个时候，大家明白了，人没了信仰的可怕，可以为了所谓维护人的“自由和尊严”，不惜谋杀生命。但坟墓不是终点、尽头，人的良心感知到这一点，圣经——神的话语更是告诉我们这一点。
基督复活了，祂真的复活了，哈利路亚。
抹大拉的马利亚和另一位马利亚，天还没亮就去看坟墓，是要寻找钉十字架的耶稣，要寻找他的尸体，用香膏膏抹他然后更加妥善地安葬，因为星期五下午是预备安息日的，所以埋葬的时候有些匆忙，妇女们还没来得及为耶稣做些什么。这个时候，男性的门徒们在哪里呢？他们连坟墓那儿都没有去，因为他们在自己的夫子耶稣被钉十字架这件事上还没有回过神来，还活在震惊、恐惧当中。我们要知道，这个时候门徒们还面临被逮捕、遭受主耶稣同样的命运，所以他们都躲得远远的，更别说要去兵丁把守的墓地了。但是，对比之下，你会发现姐妹们这个时候更有勇气，事实上就是如此；她们在天还没亮的时候就去看坟墓了。她们的心肠是柔软的，也是刚强的，对耶稣的感情也是真切的。但是，她们和门徒们一样，信得还不清楚、明白。但主耶稣并不轻看任何一位小信的人，也因此最先看见复活的耶稣的就是这些妇女。说到这里，我们当中，姐妹们居多，这也是一件光荣的事情。诗篇68:11不也说：“主发命令，传好信息的妇女成了大群。”
基督复活了，祂真的复活了，哈利路亚。
就是这样一次寻常的坟墓探访，整个世界、整个宇宙、整个人类历史都被颠覆了。两位马利亚正要看坟墓，“忽然，地大震动”，天使显现，宣告说：“你们要寻找那钉十字架的耶稣，他不在这里，他已经复活了。”妇女们第一反应是什么？同样是震惊和害怕，等他们离开坟墓，去报告这个好消息的时候，他们仍然是害怕的，“匆忙离开坟墓，又害怕，又大大欢喜，跑去要报给耶稣的门徒。”看守坟墓的兵丁什么反应呢？他们从来没有见过，甚至听说过这样的场景，“吓得浑身乱战，甚至和死人一样。”
如果是你，在坟墓旁，你会期待发生什么呢？很可能是，一切尽在掌握之中，死人不会活过来的，没有死人复活这会儿事。就拿华人的习俗来说，那怕人一厢情愿地跪拜死人，也依然认为死去的人两相隔，没办法给我们带来任何威胁；换句话说，人之所以跪拜祖先、死人，不就是因为自认为可以操控他们，利用他们吗？为什么要信一位自己操控不了的，审判人的真神呢？就是这样，人的任何偶像崇拜，都是自我捏造的神，可以像木偶戏一样随意拿捏、把玩，但这都是人的想象、一厢情愿。
但真神，耶稣基督，并不受人的把玩或掌控。他掀开了坟墓，让天地颠倒，震惊了世人，击碎了人造的偶像。祂从死里复活了。他死里复活，给人类和整个世界带来了新的创造，这也是“七日的头一日”的涵义，七日的第一日是复活的日子，是真正赐给人安息的日子，是除去罪、打败死亡、战胜坟墓的日子。是人要欢喜快乐，看透死亡、盼望将来永恒生命的日子。这也正是我们今天在此庆祝的。旧的“安息日”已经过去了，因为那星期六的安息日并不能真正给人安息，真正给人安息的乃是死里复活的主，安息日的主。
弟兄姐妹们，如果真要评论谁有资格轻看坟墓，那一定是基督徒，因为基督的坟墓空了，我们的坟墓也就没有辖制人的权势了；如果真要说谁有资格向死人祷告祈福，那只能是基督徒，因为钉十字架受难的耶稣从死里复活了；如果真要评论谁最有资格称得上“安乐地死亡，”那只能是基督徒，因为在基督里，死后就是睡去，复活之日不会被定罪，而是享受永恒生命。没有基督，完全谈不上“安乐死，”那都是人的自欺，魔鬼的谎言，仅仅减少肉体上的疼痛，并不能拯救人的灵魂面对永恒。
从死里复活的主耶稣，说给妇女们的第一句话，“愿你们平安！”对华人朋友来说，平安就是福，平安就是一切，但真正的平安在哪里呢？如果坟墓和死亡的问题解决不了，我们再怎么寻找，也没有真正的平安。感谢上帝，哈利路亚，耶稣从死里复活了，祂胜过了死亡、罪恶，给我们世人带来真正的平安。
因着主耶稣所赐的平安，我们所经历的黑暗、惧怕、疑惑、沮丧等等都算不了什么，都不能把我们怎么样。那十字架的酷刑在星期五看起来是多么绝望，如今“七日的都一日”的复活是多么荣耀、充满喜乐和安慰。无论我们正在经历什么，因着信心，靠赖主耶稣死里复活的大能和恩典，我们都能够得胜有余。
“七日的都一日”，一星期的第一天不是开始苦逼上班的星期一，而是主日聚会崇拜的星期天。你们想过没有？我们每次聚会，都是在纪念主耶稣的复活，每个主日都是复活节，而且我们每周七天都是从纪念主耶稣死里复活开始，这会给我们接下来一周的时间和活动带来怎样不同的意义和价值。我们信靠主耶稣，仰望身体复活的基督徒们，不需要再忌讳死亡，我们可以坦然地谈论死亡，因为在基督里面的人，死亡是通往复活和永生的门，祂复活了，我们也必要复活。我们也必要弃绝一切的偶像崇拜，尤其是活人崇拜死人的恶习，因为在世人中间，唯有基督耶稣首先从死人中复活了，而且祂再来的时候，必要审判活人死人。
当我们向两位马利亚那样，抱住耶稣的脚跪拜他的时候，我们就重新得着能力和安慰，能够活在真理和自由当中，毫无惧怕地去见证主对世人的大爱，去在各样场合、藉着各种机会去宣扬钉十字架的耶稣和祂死里复活的好消息。我们必要见他，不是在耶稣曾经做工的地方——加利利，而是在如今他继续做工传道的地方——基督的教会。你看，主耶稣复活之后，不止一次向门徒们说“愿你们平安”，事实上，他每次说的时候，都是在门徒们中间，在基督徒聚会的地方。感谢上帝，主耶稣继续在我们中间，继续向我们述说祂所赐的平安，领受圣灵、赦免罪过的平安，世人夺不去的平安，死亡和罪恶压制不住的平安，胜过坟墓的、永恒的平安。基督复活了，祂真的复活了，哈利路亚。奉耶稣的名。阿们。
Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, to all of you who gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead. Amen.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Today’s Gospel text centers on the scene of the tomb where Jesus was laid. Speaking of tombs, in our Chinese cultural tradition, there are complex emotions involved. On one hand, Chinese people are often superstitious about death, fearing even to speak of it lest it happen tomorrow. On the other hand, great importance is placed on the tomb, as it is seen as the place where children can show love to their deceased relatives. This is why you see Chinese funerals—at least back home in China, as it is much quieter here in America—being quite grand and even boisterous. There are offerings, the breaking of vessels, the burning of paper houses and money, and a constant eye on the neighbors’ reactions. Funerals can become a performance to show who cries the most bitterly and sincerely. The sinfulness inherent in human nature is evident here. Even after death, the annual burning of paper money and the arranging of offerings are done to show filial piety, often devolving into idolatrous rituals where the dead are treated as deities to be appeased for blessings. If we think about it, this is quite foolish. Are humans not limited? If they could not help you while they were alive, and their destination after death is unknown (though we believers know the end of man through Scripture), how can they grant you blessings? This is the absurdity of culture revolving around the tomb.
In truth, this is not just a Chinese issue, but a human one. To the world, the tomb is the finish line. People may admit what the Bible says—that “it is appointed for man to die once”—but few want to acknowledge that “after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). In Western society, death and the tomb have become trivialized. You may have noticed recent news from Spain regarding a woman and euthanasia. She suffered much—divorced parents, life in foster care, abuse by gangs, and multiple suicide attempts. This is tragic enough, but even more tragic is that when her parents tried to protect her from suicide and euthanasia from a Christian perspective, the courts across Spain and Europe supported her "right" to die. After a two-year legal battle, the parents failed to protect their daughter, and she was euthanized last month. It is even said that her organs were pre-allocated for donation before she had passed. Here, we see the terror of a world without faith, where "freedom and dignity" are used as justifications for murder. But the tomb is not the end. Human conscience senses this, and the Word of God—the Bible—tells us so.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb before dawn. They were looking for the crucified Jesus, seeking His body to anoint it with spices and provide a proper burial. Because Friday afternoon was the Day of Preparation for the Sabbath, the burial had been hurried, and the women had not yet had the chance to do anything for Him. Where were the male disciples? They didn’t even go to the tomb. They were still reeling in shock and fear over the crucifixion of their Master. We must remember that the disciples faced the threat of arrest and the same fate as the Lord, so they kept their distance, let alone approaching a graveyard guarded by soldiers. By contrast, you find that the sisters showed greater courage. They went to the tomb while it was still dark. Their hearts were tender yet strong, and their affection for Jesus was sincere. However, like the disciples, their understanding of faith was not yet clear. Yet, the Lord Jesus does not despise those with little faith; thus, these women were the first to see the risen Jesus. Among us today, sisters are the majority, and this is a matter of honor. As Psalm 68:11 says: “The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host.”
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Through this ordinary visit to a tomb, the entire world, the universe, and human history were overturned. As the two Marys were looking at the tomb, “behold, there was a great earthquake,” and an angel appeared, declaring: “You seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen.” What was the women’s first reaction? It was shock and fear. Even as they left the tomb to report the good news, they were still afraid, “departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” And the soldiers guarding the tomb? They had never seen or heard of such a scene; they “trembled and became like dead men” out of fear.
If you were by that tomb, what would you expect to happen? Most likely, you would expect everything to be under control—that the dead do not come back to life. Taking Chinese customs as an example, even if people piously worship the dead, they still believe the deceased are separated from us and cannot pose a threat. In other words, people worship ancestors because they believe they can manipulate or use them. Why believe in a true God who cannot be controlled and who judges mankind? Every human idol is a self-made god that can be handled like a puppet, but this is all human imagination and wishful thinking.
But the true God, Jesus Christ, is not subject to human control. He rolled back the stone, turned heaven and earth upside down, shocked the world, and shattered man-made idols. He rose from the dead. His resurrection brought a new creation to humanity and the world. This is the meaning of “the first day of the week.” The first day is the day of resurrection, the day that truly grants rest to man, the day that removes sin, defeats death, and conquers the tomb. It is the day for us to rejoice, to look through death, and to hope for eternal life. This is exactly what we celebrate today. The old “Sabbath” has passed, for the Saturday Sabbath could not give true rest. True rest comes only from the Lord who rose from the dead—the Lord of the Sabbath.
Brothers and sisters, if anyone is qualified to look down upon the tomb, it is the Christian, because Christ’s tomb is empty, and our tombs no longer have the power to enslave us. If anyone is qualified to pray for blessings, it is the Christian, because the crucified Jesus has risen. If anyone is truly qualified to speak of a “peaceful death/euthanisia,” it is the Christian, because in Christ, death is but a sleep, and on the day of resurrection, there is no condemnation, but eternal life. Without Christ, there is no such thing as “mercy killing” or "peaceful death"—that is human self-deception and the devil's lie. It may reduce physical pain, but it cannot save the soul facing eternity.
The first words the risen Lord Jesus spoke to the women were, "Peace be with you!" To our Chinese friends, peace is a blessing; peace is everything. But where is true peace? If the problem of the tomb and death is not solved, no matter how hard we look, there is no true peace. Thanks be to God, Hallelujah, Jesus has risen! He has overcome death and sin to bring true peace to the world.
Because of the peace given by the Lord Jesus, the darkness, fear, doubt, and depression we experience are nothing; they cannot overcome us. The torture of the cross looked so hopeless on Friday, but now the resurrection of the “first day of the week” is so glorious, full of joy and comfort. No matter what we are going through, by faith and relying on the power and grace of the Lord’s resurrection, we are more than conquerors.
“The first day of the week” is not a "Monday Blues" start to a work week; it is the Lord’s Day for worship. Have you ever thought about it? Every time we gather, we commemorate the resurrection of the Lord. Every Sunday is Easter, and we begin every seven-day week by remembering His resurrection. This brings a different meaning and value to our time and activities. We who trust in the Lord and look forward to the resurrection of the body no longer need to be superstitious about death. We can speak of it calmly, for to those in Christ, death is the door to resurrection and eternal life. He is risen, and we shall rise also. We must reject all idolatry, especially the habit of the living worshipping the dead, for among men, only Christ Jesus has been raised as the first-fruit from the dead, and when He comes again, He will judge the living and the dead.
When we, like the two Marys, take hold of His feet and worship Him, we receive new strength and comfort. We can live in truth and freedom, witnessing without fear to the Lord’s great love, proclaiming the crucified and risen Jesus at every opportunity. We shall see Him, not in Galilee where He once worked, but in His Church where He continues His work of preaching today. You see, after His resurrection, the Lord said “Peace be with you” to His disciples more than once. In fact, every time He spoke it, it was among the disciples, in the gathering of Christians. Thanks be to God, the Lord Jesus continues to be among us, speaking His peace—a peace that receives the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins, a peace the world cannot take away, a peace that death and sin cannot suppress, a peace that overcomes the tomb and lasts forever.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
In Jesus' name. Amen.